Night's Special Christmas Present
by Gundam Pilot Silver Angel
Summary: The Ronin Warrior of the Night, Lana, gives her present to Rowen and the others.


Author's Note: Mannheim Steamroller is an actual musical group. I got this strange RW Christmas inspiration while at their Christmas Concert. I do not know them, I do not own the Ronin Warriors, I have all rights on owning Lana, and if you have the chance, go see this group some time. Believe me, it's worth it!  
  
Night's Special Christmas Present  
  
By: Genius Writer Seth N Jones, Authoress K E Winner, and a few of my other selves  
  
"Man, Lana would have loved this!"  
  
Rowen looked over to Kento. "I know. I wonder where she is?" He looked to Ryo. "Where did you say you got the tickets?"  
  
"I just got them in the mail. It had all of our names on the front and no return address."  
  
"It's about to start again," Cye said excitedly.  
  
Sure enough, the lights dimmed into the darkness and the band began to play again, starting with the Christmas song, We Three Kings. Lights danced through the air with different colors. Within a few minutes, it faded to black and everyone clapped.  
  
The stage slowly lit up and the head of the group, Chip Davis, stood up and bowed as everyone clapped harder. Soon, the noise died down and Chip began to talk to the violin player, Arnie Roth.  
  
"You know what Arnie?"  
  
"What Chip?"  
  
"I discovered about five months back that one of my old acquaintances lives here now."  
  
"Oh really." Arnie lowered the violin.  
  
"Yeah, but the sad thing is, is that her father died right before I found out." He looked out to the audience. "But from what I heard was that she lucky enough to have five cute boys take care of her."  
  
"Is that what she said?"  
  
"Well, what she said was, 'I'm lucky enough to find five friends to help with school and life.' I just got the impression of that. I also got the impression that those five cute boys are actually lucky enough to have her around."  
  
"Well, how do you know that the boys are cute?"  
  
"She showed me a group picture of them," Chip shrugged. "And that's what those two said." A spot light shone on the only two women of the group, one the percussionist and the other the supporting keyboard artist, in which they laughed.  
  
"She also said that she wanted a challenge in playing the violin."  
  
"Well, bring her out!"  
  
"She said a challenge, Arnie, not an easy win."  
  
"Oh, come on! She can't be that good."  
  
"Last time I saw her she was five, about this high," he held his hand down around his knee, "with shoulder length hair and could play the violin really well."  
  
"And what does the little tike look like now?"  
  
"The *little tike* is seventeen, about yeah high," Chip held his hand a few inches above his head, "with knee-length hair and plays the violin like a pro."  
  
"Oh yeah, bring her out!"  
  
Chip turned to the right of the stage, then the left. Soon, he turned back to the front with a confused look on his face. "Have any of you seen her?"  
  
Everyone shook their heads no. Chip looked disappointed. "Where is she?"  
  
As if to answer, a slow, beautiful song filled the air and everyone in the audience turned to see who it was. Lana stood in the spot light, her eyes closed, and playing the violin.  
  
She wore a beautiful, full skirt, floor length black dress with a black jacket, button from the middle of her torso on down till it reached the skirt and black gloves on her hands. Her long hair was held back out of her face by a headband running over the top of her head, the one white streak extremely noticeable.  
  
Slowly, Lana opened her midnight-blue eyes and began to walk toward the stage methodically, each step carefully calculated. As soon as she reached the stage, the song was over and she lowered the violin. The crowd just erupted, cheering, whistling, and all out clapping. Lana just smiled weakly and bowed.  
  
As soon as the crowd settled down, Arnie played his violin, slightly fast. As soon as he was done, Lana played the same tune, only a little faster.  
  
Arnie frowned for a second, set down the violin, took off the dress coat, picked the violin again, and played faster. Lana just sort of took a step back and raised her eyebrows in interest.  
  
Arnie quickly got down and the crowd clapped. Lana set her violin down, and took off her jasket, showing a long sleeve top on her full dress, gloves still on. She picked up her violin again and played even faster.  
  
Arnie looked exasperated, again put down his violin, then proceded to take off his vest, then rolled up his sleeves. He picked up the violin and proceded to play as fast as he can. It brought a few cheers out of the large crowd, and the people watched both Anrie and Lana's reaction.  
  
"That espresso Arnie had earlier must have paid off," Chip said.  
  
Lana just shrugged, smiled, and set down the violin. First, she took off her gloves and set them down, then she shock everyone with what she did next.  
  
Lana reached down to the floor and grabbed the hem of the dress off to the left side and slowly pulled up. Barely visable, a single silver glint came off from where her hand just was. Soon she reached her neck, then pulled apart the seam. The full-skirt, floor-length black dress came off, revealing a dark blue dress that fell to right above her knees, and instead of sleeves or straps, it had a mesh-like lace-work covering her arms and shoulder, held at her wrists and neck by a blue satin ribbon.  
  
Pulling another blue satin ribbon out of the discarded coat and tied her hair off about mid-back. Then she picked up her violin, smiled, and played like she never played before. The song was played so rapidly that it was done within a minute.  
  
That brought everyone to their feet, everyone except Rowen. His was too stunned to stand. It took a good five minutes for everyone to quit down and sit. As soon as it was quiet, Arnie spoke up. "What's your secret?"  
  
Lana's eyes went blank for a moment before she answered. "Uhh.... lots of practice and Dr. Pepper." That brought a few laughs out of the audience. But Lana sort of smiled and looked straight into Rowen's own midnight-blue eyes. "And my friends' support."  
  
Rowen just smiled.  
  
"I hear you have a special song for the audience," Chip said, sitting back down at his station.  
  
Lana nodded. "The only one that I've actually put down on paper. Dedicated to my five friends, my father, and one friend I never met. Called Soldiers for Life."  
  
Slowly, Lana started out on the violin, followed by Arnie, then the rest of the group. Above them, on the large screens, pictures began to appear slowly. At first, all the pictures were just of different people you might have seen on the streets. But then, one by one, the pictures faded away, leaving seven pictures on the screens. One of Rowen, Sage, Cye, Kento, Ryo, her father, and she must have somehow found a picture of Anubis somewhere, for there was one of him also.  
  
The light altered between the colors of dark blue, light blue, orange, green, and red, lighting up the stage and players. Rowen recognized the first part of the song as one he heard the same week he met Lana, the one when he found her in a tree.  
  
Lana then moved from the stage and across the floor, toward the other Ronin Warriors. They were in the first few rows, so she reached them easily, stopping in front of them. The music was slow and sad, but at the same time, up-beat and light-hearted.  
  
The song seemed to put everyone into a trance, mesmerizing all that heard it. But soon the song was over and Lana somehow made it back up to the stage just as all the lights went out.  
  
Then, over the screens, in Lana's handwriting, were the words, "Good night and have a safe trip home. Lanèna Vampirra."  
  
  
  
Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe New Year.  
  
With Love--  
Seth N Jones and the Rest of the Gang  
  



End file.
